A result delivered in difficult circumstances
Bayern Munich’s 3-1 win at SC Freiburg on Matchday 7 was played with the head coach in hospital. Vincent Kompany collapsed on Friday evening, [1] reported, and his condition has since stabilised. The cause was not clear at first. [2] later put it down to a virus, said he would miss several weeks, and confirmed that Aaron Danks would take charge against Freiburg.
[3] added that the club considered postponing the match but decided against it, and that Danks will handle football operations while Kompany is away. Sporting director Max Eberl said Kompany is getting the time and support he needs for a full recovery, according to [4].
One Kicker piece on the squad’s reaction speaks of Kompany’s sudden departure, and Joshua Kimmich is quoted calling for “coaching hygiene”, according to [5]. Other reports describe an absence through illness with an interim in place, not a permanent exit, and that is how this article treats it.
How the win at Freiburg unfolded
Bayern reclaimed top spot with goals from Dayot Upamecano, Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise, according to the [6]. Gnabry’s goal was his 100th in the Bundesliga and gave Bayern a two-goal lead in the first half, [7] said.
The milestone came on a day when Gnabry made his first league start of 2026/27. That suggests the rotation Danks chose paid off immediately. Freiburg did score once, so the game was not a clean sheet, but Bayern held the advantage they built before the break and finished with a two-goal margin.
The result also fits a pattern. Bayern have scored freely this season, and an interim coach with limited preparation time still got a high-scoring away team to produce another three goals.
Absences and a rotated team
The team sheet was shaped by several absences. Aleksandar Pavlović was ruled out with a calf injury picked up in midweek training, with no return date given, and Bara Ndiaye was also unavailable with no reason stated, according to [8]. Kimmich missed the game because of a family bereavement.
In goal, Manuel Neuer was injured and Jonas Urbig started. The match report lists Tah, Brown, Olise and Karl as restored to the starting eleven, and notes that both sides rotated. Freiburg were without Yannik Engelhardt.
For Bayern the main questions are how long Pavlović and Neuer are out and whether Kimmich returns for the next match. The sources do not say. A midfield missing both Pavlović and Kimmich is a real test of depth, and Freiburg offered a first answer to it.
What it means
Bayern lead the Bundesliga with 17 points from 7 games, with 5 wins, 2 draws and no defeats. They have scored 25 goals and conceded 6. That is a strong base for a season in which the coaching situation has suddenly become uncertain.
The recent form is more mixed than the table suggests. In their last five matches across competitions Bayern won twice and drew three times. They beat RB Leipzig 6-1 at home and Freiburg 3-1 away. They drew 2-2 at Augsburg, 3-3 at Viking in the Champions League, and 2-2 at home to Arsenal. Scoring has not been the problem. Conceding in four of those five games is the area to watch.
The next question is Dortmund at home on 31 October. Danks will probably still be in charge, and Bayern will want a calmer defensive display against a rival who will test the back line. The site’s forecast for that match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so the prediction will follow the latest news on Pavlović, Neuer and Kimmich as well as Kompany’s recovery.
Sources
- Kicker: "Zur Stunde noch nicht genau klar, was zum Zusammenbruch geführt hat" kicker.de ↩
- The Guardian: Vincent Kompany to miss ‘weeks, not days’ with virus treatment, say Bayern Munich theguardian.com ↩
- BBC Sport: Kompany recovery will take 'weeks' as tests continue bbc.co.uk ↩
- Kicker: Eberl über Kompany: "Ihn ein Stück weit vor sich selbst beschützen" kicker.de ↩
- Kicker: Klose & Co. reagieren auf Kompany-Schock: "Wir sind alle stur" kicker.de ↩
- Bundesliga.com: Serge Gnabry scores 100th Bundesliga goal as Bayern beat Freiburg to reclaim top spot bundesliga.com ↩
- Bundesliga.com: Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry nets 100th Bundesliga goal against Freiburg bundesliga.com ↩
- Bundesliga.com: Aleksandar Pavlović to miss Freiburg clash through injury bundesliga.com ↩
